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GEN F: Ca$h Out

In a move that could either make or break his young career, Atlanta rapper Ca$h Out called his first single “Cashin Out.” It’s pretty literal and highly self-promotional, but undeniably clever, and, in a large part due to his unique rapping/singing hybrid, has become a hit. His hoarse, melodic delivery lands him in the same family as someone like Ja Rule or Mystikal, but instead of being loud and abrasive, what comes out of his mouth is something resembling a vibrato-laced, Auto Tuned whine. On paper that sounds torturous, but after multiple listens, it’s infectious and often joyful. Radio listeners and partygoers aren’t the only ones that are stoked on the song though. While celebrating his NBA championship victory at Club LIV, Lebron James rapped along word-for-word, as did many in the crowd at the 2012 BET Awards, when the artist closed out the show to a fully-standing crowd. There are already unofficial remixes from the likes of Bow Wow, Wale, Ludacris and Krayzie Bone, and when it was time to cobble together the requisite official remix, Ca$h Out didn’t need to go on the hunt for guest rappers, they came to him. “When Young Jeezy called, I was on an airplane, just hoping the call didn’t drop,” he says. “I told him, Let’s get it.”

Recently when he returned home to perform at Birthday Bash, Atlanta’s version of Hot 97’s Summer Jam, he realized how popular the song truly was. “When they cut the lights on, seeing twenty thousand people singing ‘Cashin Out’ word for word…it was crazy,” he says. Even crazier was that the previous year, he was at the same event, but instead of performing on stage, he was watching from the crowd. Despite his rapid success, though, Ca$h Out is determined not to rest and simply hope for the best. He’s already released a mixtape, It’s My Time, complete with tracks like “We Da Champs” and “I Know You See,” that prove his now-ubiquitous drawl can work across a variety of song styles, Though, ultimately he seems to understand and embrace the formula that produced the wave he’s currently riding high on. “I’m trying to drop that next single, next single, fuck an album,” he says, showing a near-desperation to stay on people’s minds, but also an understanding of the harsh reality of the music world that, with just a few missteps, could render him a one-hit wonder.

Luckily, Ca$h Out is not letting his single’s success get to his head. “I can still walk down the street in certain places, so you know when you can do that, you’re hot, but not as hot as you could be," he says. “I don’t even have 100,000 followers on Twitter yet.” It remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to parlay the current attention into a full on career, but at least he’ll always have that weird voice.